Material handling apparatus



March 9, 1954 J. F. REEDY MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 17, 1950 INVEN'IEOR Jase a/z F Reedy ATTORNEY March 9, 1954 REEDY 2,671,567

MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS I Filed May 1 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- Jaae afi F Reedy ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 9, 1954 UN I 'T-EYD STAT MATERIAE HANDLING A PPARA-TUE J oseph- FnReedy, Greensburg, Par

Application May P7; 1950, Serial'Nm 162513 1 Claim 1 This: invention relates to material handling=- apparatus and more: particularly to theicontrolof :the iholdingfz and "closing cables of apparatus employing a conventional clamshell bucket:

Themprimary 1 object ofn-th'e 1 invention "is ..to positively ho'ldiaclamshell bucke't in open closed a position a during the movements 1 there-of:- so asetmavoid spillingmi theicontents while-it is :being moved from a loading to a discharging positions AI'IOthEPObj'BCtiiS to assure the' maintenance ofeth'e'ibucket'in open position as it approaches a th'exmaterial to behandled thereby.

Stillanother object is to 'avoid'overloading the closing lineengine and2to distribute the load of the apparatus 7 may be easily controlled: by m the operators Still further features-inc1utle-a gear train coupledptozthewholding 'line' and; closing line engines: of va conventional: loading and unload-" ing' apparatus: employing a clamshellfibucket; 1

Referring to: the drawingsrin detail a convent-4 tional material handling? tower designated generallytloiis equipped with 'a boom i2 omwhi'ch'a conventional trolley was mounted to move longi --tudinally in a horizontal rectilineal: path. Carried by -the tower Iiii's -I a conventional platform: H5 onwhich a conventional closingengine: i8, and a :conventionalciholdingengine"' is sup' portedc- The: closing engine-1i! "comprises. a cone ventionalufieleotrical motor-22 to the drive :shaft 24 01 which is 'connecteda pinionl B Which" meshes. with zar drive: gear 2830f a cable I drum 138; "and 1 J also cam'ied by the drive 'sha'ft N of the engine I 8-is 'ra conventional springiset brake 32:? which is electrically released: when: power is supplied to the' motor- *2 2 in. accnventional manners.

The holding enginerZB'IempIoy-s a conventional eleotrie 'motorz34 110? the-drive shafttfi of which is .connected -2. drivel-pinion": 33 having: meshing engagement withia drive gear: 46: which drives a drum-42nn*:which* thei-holding' cableiofr the apparatusais iwoundi ins-a conventional manner. Like =tlie engine l 8; the engine ZGisequippecl with. a conventional electrically. released wspring set brake' fl which' releases automatically when themotor M is' energizedp The structure thus far is" of conventional-form and 'Welikn'own :in the .art. Carried by-thetrolley: I4 are. pairs it and G3 of -sheaves: ever which the holding cable '50 L and theclosing cable- 52 leading from their respective" drums 42and- 3il ai'e'trained. The" holding cable passing through-one of each pair oisheaves fifi 'and :68 extends downwardly and. is trainedover asheave 54= carried on: the upper side of a crosshead tls 'whi'ch is connected through the and clutclr means connectedzto th'e geapttrainsf umdings 53 3nd'603t0" the opposite jaws y Which o ection between" th'e'" two 62 and:64="- 0f- 1.a (conventional clamshell bucket engines maya'baestablishedzb designated generailvfifi; These-jaws 62 and 5- In the drawings: are:pivotallycouplect"together:bya transversally Figure l is aschematie-view offa conventional extend ifigmbgj ty:fisfiupon which i a sheave 'ie: is. m rial n n lins pnam f he tvpe mpl yw mounted to rotate; Carried by' the crosshead ing aclamshellibueket:ancishowing onezembodh 55*011 the' uncler side :thereof is a; sheave. 'l2-:-: mentiofthisvinvention.connected to the-moldingi1; and the" closing-cable 52? ext d b t -t and: Closing T engine -v sheave iifi a' nd thence'upwardly around the sheave Figure 2 D+p View Of fi d n fl2 andfiagain downwardly aroundthe sheave 68- I.

and closing engines of a conventionalmaterial...v handling apparatus showing one embodiment thisinvention coupled thenetotfor.operationin connectiontherewith,

Figure t3 I is amenlargedwiew Ofzfl: conventional clamshellbucketshowing indotted-lines therela and thence upwardly to 'theseoondpair of sheaves in the pairs i i andlsielo'sing'. cable is connected to thedrum- 30 M the closing engine l8 and rhas one-end anchoredto the" towel I B .in any "conventional-" manners It will" thus 'be seen"'th'a't when th'e" weight'of the bucket 55" is supported on the holding "cable -52 downward pull--iiri-ll be exertec'l onthe crossheadfifi to cause the ;iaws 62 "-and 64 to move'to closedposition; and whemthe weight pfthe "bueke't is sustainedon the cable 50 around the sheave 54, the weight will be transferred to the crosshead 56 thus causing it to move upwardly and move the jaws G2 and 64 to open position. The construction of the clamshell bucket just described and its operation are all conventional and well known in the art, and it is evident that with this type of device extremely delicate control of the holding and closing cables 50 and 52 respectively must be maintained in order to assure correct operation of the device. Hence the successful manipulation of clamshell buckets of the type referred to requires the exercise of great skill by the operator.

In order to assure positive control of the opening and closing of the buckets, and to distribute th load uniformly between the closing and holding engines I8 and 20 respectively I employ a gear train designated generally 14 which comprises a gear I6 which is keyed or otherwise fixed to the shaft 24 to rotate therewith, and meshing with this gear 16 is a idler pinion I8. A gear 80 meshes with the idler pinion I8 and is mounted on a sleeve 82 which rotates about a shaft 84. A clutch member 86 is carried by the sleeve 82 and has.driving connection therewith, and fixed to the shaft 84 is a cooperating clutch member 88, the engagement of which with the clutch member 86 is controlled by a cone or disks 98 which is mounted on the shaft 84 to slide longitudinally thereof. A gear 92 is fixed to the shaft 84 in spaced relation to the gear 88 and meshes with an idler pinion 94 which in turn meshes with a gear 96 which is fixed to the shaft 35. It will thus be seen that when the clutch members 86 and 88 are engaged, the drums 38 and 42 of the engines I8 and 28 respectively will be driven in unison. It is obvious that if the drums 38 and 42 are of the same diameter, and are driven at the same rate of speed, the lineal speed of the cables 58 and 52 will b the same. On the other hand should there be a variation between the diameters of the drums 38 and 42, the gears in the gear train I4 may be altered so that the larger of the drumsmay be driven at a lower rate of speed so that the cables 58 and 52 may be moved at the sam lineal speed when the clutch members 86 and 88 are engaged.

In order to control the engagement and disengagement of the clutch members 86 I provide yielding means 98 which normally holds the clutch members in disengaged relation, and pivotally connected to the cone 98 is a yoke I08 having a laterally entending arm I82. This yoke is pivotally mounted at I84 at the junction of the arm I82 therewith so that when the arm is moved vertically, the yoke will be moved against the effort of the spring 98 to engage the clutch member 88 with the clutch member 86 and thereby establish driving connection between the gear 88 and the shaft 84. Any suitable type of servomotor I06, such as a solenoid is mounted adjacent the lever I82, and the core I08 of said solehold. is coupled as at III) to the lever I 02 sothat when the solenoid is energized, the lever I02 will be moved in a direction to advance the cone 98 and engage the clutch members 88 and 86. A lead II2 coupled to one terminal of the solenoid is carried to one terminal of a suitable power source I I4, the opposite terminal of which is connected through the medium of a conductor IIS to one terminal II6 of a push button which is located at a convenientplace in the cab I20 occupied by the operator of the material handling equipment. The opposite lead I22 which is connected to one terminal of th solenoid is carried to the opposite contact I24 of the push button so that upon operating the push button, a flow of energy will be established through the solenoid to cause the clutch member 88 to engage the clutch member 88 and thereby establish driving connection between the holding engine and the closing engine. Obviously so long as the contacts of the push button are engaged, the holding and closing engines will operate in unison so as to cause the holding and closing cables 50 and 52 respectively to move at the same lineal speed. By thus moving the cables it will be evident that relative movement between the sheaves 54, I8 and I2 cannot take place and hence the bucket 66 will be held in the desired position irrespective of the speed at which the cables are driven. While an electrical clutch control system has been described, it is obvious that any suitabl remote control system may be employed, so long as the clutch member 88 may be engaged with the clutch member 86 against the effort of the spring 98.

In operation the clutch members and 88 are disengaged so that the cables 58 and 52 are independently regulated according to the desire and skill of the operator. Having manipulated the cables to cause the bucket to open, it is evident that by engaging the clutch members 86 and 88, the bucket may be lowered at full speed to engage the material to be loaded. When the bucket contacts the material to be loaded, the operator may disengage the clutch members, and by manipulating the controls of the closing engine to lift the bucket to exert lifting power on the cable 52 it will be evident that the jaws 62 and 54 of the bucket 66 may be closed about the load. With the closing of the jaws, the clutch members 86 and 88 are engaged so that both the holding and closing cables may exert lifting power on the bucket, and the load will be uniformly distributed between the motors 22 and 34, thus avoiding the overloading of either of the motors. Also since the cables mov at the same lineal speed, it is evident that the relative positions of the sheaves 54 and I8 cannot change during the movement of the bucket. When it is desired to unload the bucket, it is only necessary to disengage the clutch members 86 and 88 and. to transfer the load of the bucket to the holding cable and by paying out a small amount of the closing cable from the drum 30, it is evident that the bucket jaws 62 and 64 will move to open position and permit the contents to fall out of the bucket. In this way the opening, closing and the maintenance of the bucket in closed or open position irrespective of the speed at which it may be raised or lowered is under direct positive control of the operator at all times.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred form of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Iclaim:

In a material handling apparatus, the combination of a boom and cable supported clamshell bucket and an operating means for the jaw controlling cables thereof, said means comprising a pair of drums spacedly mounted at one end of the boom, one for each of the said controlling cables, an electric motor for driving each of the drums, a gear train .operatively connecting each motor to its respective drum, another gear train interposed between the first gear trains, a clutch mechanism for connecting and disconnecting the said another gear train to and from th first gear trains, a brake on the shaft of each motor adapted. to be automatically released when its respective motor is energized, and means for controlling the operation of the clutch mechanism, said motors operating to drive both drums simultaneously when energized and the clutch mechanism is set to connect said other gear train with the first gear train and to drive said drums separately when the clutch mechanism is inoperative.

JOSEPH F. REEDY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

